Run, Just Run
by Xyloverflow
Summary: Codename Junko is assigned to inflitrate and monitor a smuggling company in Ikebukuro Japan. When she is compromised, she is rescued by the last person she expects. Rated T for later chapters.
1. Prologue

**1700 hours. Credenhill.**

I've been staring at the same patch of sky for three hours. It's a clear evening in Credenhill, got a rare chance to relax after training. The sky's pink and orange now, nice sight for sore eyes. I bet Price and the others would've enjoyed it. I can't shake their faces, no matter how hard I try. Their eyes glazed over, their blood pooling together. Popping Zakhaev should satisfy me, but it doesn't. Fuck, I need a smoke, but I'm fresh out of Villa Clara's. Seems like they're the only things that can calm me down these days. Hell not calm, they just distract me, even temporarily. That and PT. I need to keep adding rounds every day. _**I'll be stronger than before.**_

**1700 hours. Ikebukuro.**  
Sometimes I forget how huge this city is. During my run today I must've gone ballistic, before I knew it I was in strictly restricted territory with a thousand coppers. For 'tight security' they were pretty juiced up, they thought I was a tom instead of an intruder. Needless to say it was a doodle to get away. Still, hope VI and the others don't find out. If they do the higher ups won't be pleased, damn old geezers don't know how to have fun. All they do is gab up the clients for affordable rates, and then come to us going "Chodai chodai!" Fuckers could at least give me a decent nickname. Junko: genuine child. Oh the irony.

Damn, VI gets all the fun. (Again, what's with the weird nicknames?) She's supposed to be my partner but she's climbing the ranks faster than she climbs the walls. If it weren't for her cheeky Russian tongue she'd be running with the "likes of me". Fuck them, prejudice bastards. It's strange how all of my work stopped long enough for me to go on a run. I'm perfectly up for work, but nothing big has been thrown my way. All I've been getting is small things of Charlie to deliver to random bums. All imports, no exports. It's just a gut feeling, but maybe they're pushing me away from the factory while they cook up the big stuff? I need to get closer, but hopefully VI can get me some information.


	2. Up for a race?

To some, Ikebukro is a city designed to escape the harshness of what the real world had to offer aside the fairytale television. Millions of people cycle in and out of the metropolis daily, indulging themselves in what its maze of streets had to propose. Other people find Ikebukuro to be a city where cultures clash and interact with each other, blending instantly; a multi-cultural center of sorts. Foreigners from all over the world come here to seek change and witness a hidden wonder of this well-worn world. A wide variety of faces, music, literature, and art are shared within the city, each comparing and contrasting ways of life to another's.

However, just like anywhere else, danger can leap out at you at any time and turn your life into a living hell; all doors locked tight without a skeleton key. Gangs of misfits and rejects scurry through the alleyways like vile pestilence, wreaking havoc wherever they go. Robberies, mugs, gang beatings, even death can occur just around the friendly sushi corner, and most of the locals have learned to never let their guard down. _Ever_.

These chaotic elements are what make Ikebukuro the city that stands today. With its language of rumors and superstitions, it is a joker's city, created by the biggest clown of all: God.

7:00 pm, closing time. At last, Junko was released from her daily torture as a mechanic. The auto-shop garage where she worked, one of many scattered across Ikebukuro, was a rats nest where she had to dedicate eight hours of her precious time four days a week. Everything was covered in grease and other unmentionables, but the mechanics could fix anything from a bicycle gear to a car engine. If only they knew as much about cleaning themselves as they knew how many nuts and bolts were in a motorcycle, Junko would be satisfied.

The excited 29 year old dashed out of the garage as fast as her legs could carry her when the clock freed her. With the clink of the door she filled her lungs with Ikebukro atmosphere: a twisted combination of smoke, perfumes, people, and best of all, life. Junko unconsciously laughed as the city that had been her home for the past decade pulsed before her murky blue eyes. A small breeze tossed her lengthy ashen brown hair around like it was a play toy. To her right she witnessed a small cat fight commence about who got a purse on sale. To her left a group of boys, all wearing identical yellow neckerchiefs, were swearing like sailors at random people trying to enjoy their evening.

_Either these twerps are brave enough to bear the symbol of the infamous Yellow Scarves, or they're pathetic wannabees trying to act "tough"._ Her thin lips formed a tight line, on the brink of a frown at the thoughts of previous riots caused by the color gangs. She leaned towards the latter; these boys were definitely the type to squeal to their mommy at the first sign of trouble.

Turning on her heel, she began to walk south. There had been no requests from any of her clients; heck, her phone didn't ring once that day. For the first time in what seemed like eternity, Junko had a night to herself, or at least for now. Her clients could unfortunately call at any time, but they chose to neglect that today. _Maybe I'll go to the park. _She thought.

*Buzz Buzz* _Crap._ Grudgingly taking out her customized cell phone, Junko read the receiving text message from the contact "V". _Guess I had my hopes up too high._ Flipping the cover open, she opened the text.

_Meet in The Playground ASAP, I've got something to show ya! ^w^_

Junko cocked an eyebrow. _Leave it to Viulu to leave out all of the juicy details, damn she's such a tease._

She descended to the underground subways and took a train deeper into the city. A small section of Ikebukuro was reserved for the rejects, runaways, druggies, even illegal foreigners to call home. Having earned the title "The Playground" it was composed of run down and out dated buildings that no one bothered to maintain or take down.

It is the perfect hiding spot.

Junko navigated through the maze like alleyways, a catacomb like path which she had memorized ages ago. She ventured deeper into the playground until she arrived at an unusually bulky brick building, which seemed like it used to be an apartment complex. An earthquake disaster waiting to happen, the sloppily aligned bricks were on the brink of falling over. The windows were bashed in, the front door with chipped paint was barley attached to its abused hinges.

Junko kneeled down and scooped up a few pebbles. She took aim at the top cluster of windows, and tossed the pebbles towards them. A gentle clink rang through the narrow streets, echoing for longer than intended, making her shiver. Moments later a bright red blur appeared in one of the windows. Once her eyes focused, Junko noticed it was the young woman she was looking for. Her pixy fire red hair practically glowed in the building, with penetrating green eyes to compliment.

"Yo babe, what took you so long?!" The woman drawled, propping her elbow against the window pane.

Junko shrugged. "Got held up at the shop VI, you know how it is." She called. Viulu, or VI for short, was an illegal immigrant. Originally from Russia, she smuggled to Ikebukuro to find change, just like the rest of the city's inhabitants. With flaming red hair and emerald green eyes with corresponding energy, Zoid was a storm just waiting to burst out and consume everything in its path.

Viulu tapped the imaginary watch on her wrist. "Tick tock silly girl, you know I hate waiting!" she grinned devilishly climbing out the window to meet with her companion.

"Uh, I'm not sure that's-"Before Junko could finish VI leapt out the window and dove towards a nearby balcony. The crumbling material was barely able to hold the girls weight for a few seconds before collapsing all together. Without missing a beat she pushed herself off the decaying structure, this time descending to the street where Junko gawked at the damage she was causing. VI landed gracefully beside her companion, her muscles peeking out of her tank top were completely relaxed.

Angry voices of all languages were directed at VI for the damage she had done, but she brushed them off easily. "Not like you lazy bums used that balcony anyway…" she muttered. She stretched her back and winked at Junko.

"Give it a rest Junko, this dumps bursting at the seams already. I might as well speed up the process."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that mate." Junko sighed. "So what is this thing you want to show me?"

VI grinned. "It's called _fun_, Junko. Say it with me." Junko just stared at her partner, debating if she had really gone crazy this time. VI rolled her eyes.

"When was the last time you had fun, eh?" VI asked. Junko shrugged.

"Get to the point already."

"You and me, race to the basketball court." VI said, scratching her neck. "My cellphone is hidden underneath part of the fence. Our stingy higher ups will be calling in, oh I don't know, five minutes at best-"Before Zoid could finish her proposition Junko had already climbed a rickety fire escape, tying her hair back into a ponytail.

VI cursed in Russian. "I didn't even say go yet!" she yelled. Junko didn't stop but turned her head to respond.

"YOU BLOODY WANKER! DON'T JUST LEAVE VALUABLES LYING AROUND!" She screeched. "THIS IS IKEBUKURO FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!" VI only howled with laughter as she followed Junko in hot pursuit.

The race was on.

Junko flipped, dodged, and ran; her body performed each acrobatic movement flawlessly as she maneuvered through The Playground. Her heart was pounding in her chest, struggling to supply her muscles with the oxygen she needed. VI followed closely on a parallel path of rooftops, making silly faces at her frustrated comrade whenever possible. Eventually the speedy duo was only a few blocks from their target: a rundown basketball court on the outskirts of The Playground. This particular court was in terrible shape, there were dozens of cracks in the concrete and its hoops were coated with rust. However, this long abandoned court was now the finishing line.

"Junko, your moves are sloppy!" VI teased.

"You seem pretty confident!" Junko jeered, making a swift leap off a rooftop and onto the street. Breaking into a full sprint, there was nothing standing between the woman and her objective.

Well, except for the motorcyclist zooming towards her. Junko tried to speed up but tripped on a crack in the asphalt. She was as good as dead. The driver, however, was not prepared to let the helpless girl die and made a quick adjustment to his steering. The motorcycle made a sound that Junko could've sworn was a horse as it swerved around her. The riders head was completely covered in a unique helmet with a yellow cat head shape and jet black eye screen. Junko couldn't see his face, or any part of his body thanks to the skin tight leather jump suit he was wearing. _Seriously, what's up with this guy?_ Before Junko could utter a word the rider just gave her a thumb up before driving away, his bike repeating its eerie horse sonance.

"Junko!" VI hurried over to her companions' side, offering her a hand. "What the hell just happened, and who was that guy?!" Junko took her hand, wincing at the pain in her leg. Surely she hadn't broken anything, but it still stung.

"No idea VI, that-"

A distant chime suddenly spread into the air. VI and Junko turned to the court, which was directly in front of them now. A small blinking light was in plain sight, under the fence as promised. The duo scrambled to the phone, each desperate to win the race. Junko reached the fence first but VI tackled her out of the way. Grunting with frustration, Junko kicked VI in the stomach forcing her to let go. Junko reached for the phone, grasping it firmly before opening the receiver.

"Reporting."

"This is not Agent VI. Who is this?" A heavily warped voice asked on the other line. Junko motioned VI to take the phone. Covering the receiver she passed the phone to her, winking.

"VI reporting." VI said. A few moments of silence went on before she spoke again. "Yeah, no more races…I got it." she flipped the receiver closed.

"We got ourselves a job?" Junko asked. VI nodded slowly, licking her chapped lips.

"A big one, straight from the top." she replied. Junko cocked an eyebrow.

"This ought to be good…race you to the warehouse?"


	3. Mask in the Dark

"_BEEP INCORRECT!" _ An electronic voice imitating a woman rung out through a speaker as VI typed in her code.

"What the hell do you mean, 'incorrect'?!" VI demanded.

"Go easy on the old doll," Junko said. "She's not the chatty type mate." VI glared at her partner before focusing on the keypad again. Whenever they were called in for an assignment, Junko and VI reported to the same warehouse to be briefed. The only way in or out was through the front door; the tight security would ruin any potential intruders day. After passing a few offices and cubicles with their single zombie like occupant, high level workers like Junko and VI went down a narrow hallway. This is where our beloved ladies wound up, a mere keypad being the only obstacle.

"3147 is the code, isn't it?" VI asked, scrunching her eyebrows in frustration. Junko shrugged.

"Yeah…" Junko let her voice trail off as she pondered their situation. It was bad enough that she answered the call on VI's phone; being late would just be another cherry on top. VI sighed.

"Now what do we do? We can't get in, so maybe this keypad is broken."

"Nah, that keypad is mint mate," Junko shrugged. "Maybe they upgraded and forgot to tell us?" VI rolled her eyes.

"Baka, our superiors might be old but they're not stupid enough to tell their employees information that important."

"That's because this particular piece of information is too important for our 'old superiors' to send electronically." VI whipped around, having recognized the voice her eyebrows furrowed into a frown. Junko turned around and saw a familiar man her age walking down the hallway. His milky white hair was cut into an asymmetrical bob cut; his choppy bangs barley covered his icy blue eyes. His outfit wasn't as sinister as his features, he was only wearing a casual grey t-shirt and cargo shorts. The limited light revealed a tattoo of a dragon curling up his right arm. The teal scales hid any evidence of human skin on from his fingers up past his arm, with the fangs of the ferocious beast placed on his neck.

"Daisuke, we didn't know you'd be joining us." Junko said, greeting him with a warm smile. VI relaxed and propped one leg against the wall.

"Sheesh daddy, if you were going to be here you should at least be on time." Daisuke walked up to VI until his face was mere inches away from hers. The dragon seemed to become angrier as Daisuke's neck muscles flexed, but VI showed no signs of intimidation. Her normally energetic gaze had become quite nasty. All Junko could do was stand there as her teammates had a stare off.

"I'll let that one slide for now Viulu." Daisuke growled as he withdrew. "Just know that I'm not as forgiving as the others." Before VI could spit out a retort he pushed past her and rapidly typed something into the keypad.

"_BEEP CORRECT! WELCOME!"_

_What does he mean by 'the others'?_ Junko thought as she stepped in the now opened door. VI mumbled a few choice words before following them in the room. At first glance it was just an ordinary conference room. A long narrow mahogany table stretched across from end to end, each side having five luxurious arm chairs. Normally there would be an official from the company on the opposite end of the table with a folder. They would get an assignment, ask questions, and leave.

But something was different about today.

Instead of a potential client, a massive throne like chair was facing the trio on the opposite side of the room. The lights had been turned off around the chair, completely shrouding the figure occupying the seat in darkness. Standing next to the chair was a scrawny young woman. By the looks of her shallow cheeks and dark circles Junko came to the conclusion that she was "hired under very special circumstances." _Poor thing probably hasn't had a decent rest in weeks._

"Your assignments from here on out will come from me." A voice said. It was the same warped voice from VI's phone call. Junko focused hard the chair. No matter how hard she looked all she could make out was a slender figure with a distorted head. _Damn lights must be playing tricks on me._

"Who are you?" Junko asked.

"My identity is on a need to know basis. Once you prove your worth to this company you will know."

"Hold on a second." VI inquired. "You're saying we have to work for you but we can't know you are? That's a little unfair, even for this company." The woman swiftly threw a shuriken across the room, making a deep gash into VI's cheek.

"You just don't know when to shut up, do you Agent Viulu?" The figure remarked. VI whimpered and pressed hard against her cheek in an attempt to stop the bleeding, holding back a dictionary's worth of swear words.

"Your mission is simple." The figure said. The woman slid a piece of paper across the table. "You are to meet this girl in Astro Companies HQ in VIP Suite 8. She has a package which you are to retrieve and bring it back to me." Junko looked at the paper. It was a photograph of an Asian girl not a day over 16. Her chestnut colored hair was tied in two neat buns on top of her round face, revealing her matching colored eyes. She wasn't smiling, nor frowning. If anything she looked like she was tired from too many cram nights. The photo only showed what the girl looked like from the chest up but anyone could clearly see she was dressed in a local high school uniform.

"What is the significance of this package?" Junko asked.

"What part of 'need to know basis' do you not understand Agent Junko?" The figure was clearly losing his patience.

"Sheesh this girl is really cute," VI commented. "I'm dying to see what ugly story is behind that pretty little face."

"That's enough small talk!" The figure yelled. Another folder slid across the table. "The details concerning how you execute this mission are in there. Now unless you have some important questions that are relevant to your task instead of some pointless commentary I suggest you take your leave."

"Ok, that's enough!" Junko exclaimed. The young woman finally decided that she had enough of this guy. "This 'task' sounds like a load of cack and you expect us to cooperate?! Hiding in the shadows like that only shows you're too afraid to do your own dirty work. Identify yourself or I'm out!" A ghostly silence loomed over the group for what seemed like eternity. It was VI's turn to gape at her partner while Daisuke remained silent. The woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"You shouldn't have said that to my master." She sniveled. The figure scooted his chair back and took an enormous leap. Junko watched as the figure soared across the room, crashing right in front of her.

Junko tried to scream by was cut off by the figure clutching onto her throat and holding her high in the air. As he tightened his grip the young woman finally looked into the figures eyes. She was looking into the eyes of a giant humanoid insect. The figure was dressed in a long wine colored trench coat and a monstrous looking mask that covered his entire head. Its giant bulky eyes and spiraled tongue made him resemble some kind of Lepidoptera.

"Have you identified me yet, Agent Junko?" The monster asked. Junko struggled against his grip, gasping for air. Her legs twitched robustly, signaling that she had little time left.

"…Aobōzu…one of the Toripuru-Shindō."

"Do you know what Mr. Nagasaki, the CEO of our company, said about you and your team?" Unable to respond, Junko's jig of death was reaching its climax. Just when Junko thought she was about to pass out, Aobōzu released his grasp. She dropped to the floor like a dead weight, sucking in generous lungful's of air.

"He said you were the perfect team for this job." Aobōzu explained. "Do not let our CEO regret those words. His regrets are my regrets." As Junko struggled to stand Daisuke reached a hand out to help. Aobōzu whipped a gun out of his coat and aimed for Daisuke, forcing him to stop dead in his tracks.

"She was able to stay alive for this long; make her stand on her own." Daisuke looked back and forth from Junko and the gun but finally returned to VI's side.

"I will repeat myself because you've proven to be an incompetent twat." Aobōzu groused. "Find this girl, retrieve the package, and bring it back here undetected." Seeing that Junko had finally risen to her feet gave Aobōzu initiative to put his masked face next to hers, slowly grazing her cheek with the artificial eyes.

"Have I made myself clear, Agent Junko?" The young woman stared at her own horrified reflection through the colossal lenses.

"I understand." She whispered. Aobōzu stepped back pulled something out of his trench coat. It was a small key card with a multi-color swirl design on one side.

"You'll need this to get in the high security areas. This is the only help you'll be getting from me." Junko gave him a curt nod and took the card.

"It will be done." After finally balancing herself on her feet, Junko turned to leave. Daisuke and VI followed, closing the door behind them. As their footsteps faded away, the woman gave a sheepish glance at her master.

"Are you sure about this, master?" The woman asked. "We're talking about-"

"-I'm well aware of the risks." Aobōzu said, abruptly cutting her off. "This is Gipetto's plan, not mine. For the moment, we are merely his puppets." He walked over to the woman and swiftly slapped her across the cheek. The woman cried in pain and fell over onto the table.

"Now shut your whiney little trap, the show is about to start!"


	4. Going Dark

Another day was coming to an end. The sunset set the sky ablaze with multiple shades of pink and orange fusing together. While the day life was ending, an entirely different world emerged from the streets of Ikebukuro. The typical theme of the exciting nightlife set the stage for the city's residents. Cliques of friends, old and new, made their way around the streets searching for new clubs to dance their troubles away. The caterpillar like lines ran throughout the city streets, each with residents eagerly crossing their fingers that they were pretty enough to get past the selective bouncers.

For Junko however, she would have to relax her nerves another time. The young woman was still shook up from her superiors' abuse. Junko and VI had already made it to Club Astro, a company famous for its entertainment systems and international dance clubs. The towering skyscraper's was too tall for them to get to the roof, so they settled on breaking in through the air vent system on a lower rooftop. She surveyed the ant size crowds sauntering in the streets, desperate for a distraction. If the objective was not complete with perfect execution, it could be the death of her.

"Junko, c'mon I need a hand here." VI grunted, pushing against an air vent guard. "Quit spacing out. Daisuke's finally deactivated the motion alarms."

"Whatever." Junko muttered, refusing take her eyes off the streets. A loud clang rang out on the roof, making Junko swing around in shock. VI was standing there with a dented vent guard she had clearly kicked, calm as can be.

"What the hell was that?!" Junko demanded, suddenly on full alert. "Are you trying to tell everyone we're here?"

"Nah," VI shrugged. "I provided a much needed wakeup call to our distressed leader."

"VI, quit being careless. I don't want to be deaf anytime soon." Daisuke chimed in from the com link. Lucky for him, Daisuke was technical support for the squad. While the ladies did all of the dirty work, he was privileged enough to enjoy the comfort (and safety) of a secluded hiding place nearby. "Go easy on Junko ok? She got a beating back there."

"You could've warned us you know." Junko grumbled. "I don't know how, but you knew we were meeting with a Shindō. If I'd know I could've avoided that." VI snickered as she climbed through the vent.

"Mommy and Daddy are having a fight! I better give you two some privacy." Junko followed, motivated by both the urge to whack VI upside the head and to get the mission over with.

"Lead the way." Junko muttered.

"I uploaded the map, and fuck the security here is really tight! I'm looking at cameras, laser and motion sensors, they even got physical traps!" Daisuke said, a distinct clicking of a keyboard resounded through the com. "VI, you're to take the second left and keep going until you reach a dead end. There should be a straight drop which will save you some time. Keep heading down until you reach the elevator control panel."

"Way to give me the fun job." VI griped, but she complied and crawled through the vents.

"Junko, you need to head to your right and keep going. There should be a removable vent screen."

"Question," VI whispered. "Why didn't we just go straight to the thirteenth floor from the vents? Didn't you say you deactivated the motion alarms?"

"The motion alarms surrounding VIP Suite 8 are running on a separate power source for whatever reason. Probably because of the package we're supposed to retrieve." Daisuke explained.

"That's why you're heading to the control panel. VIP members have keycards which deactivate the alarms and traps in elevators and vents, so when you plug in my connection I should be able to interfere with whatever I need to from here. Those vents are your escape route; the guards will be no match for you two on the roofs. While Junko infiltrates the suite, you will head there through the vents to act as backup."

"_Taku_." VI whined. "I thought this was an entertainment company, not a fucking military base."

"Club Astro isn't exactly a 'law abiding' corporation, VI." Junko said. "If you bothered to read the file Aobōzu gave us you would know that they've got a few skeletons in the closet. Now hold it down, you're being hella noisy today!" Junko continued through the vent until coming to the vent screen mentioned prior.

"Another thing." Daisuke added. "That security guard that our superiors gave us wasn't complete. It was almost like he was setting us up."

"More like he was double checking." Junko said. "That prick wanted to see if we would trust him. Rule #1: Never trust anyone." Daisuke sighed before responding.

"Open the screen and get in the hall." Daisuke instructed. "Cross the hallway, but keep a watch out. Get to the end, and take a right. Take the second elevator, and don't be seen."

Following his instructions, Junko reached the end of the hallway when she heard footsteps quickly approaching.

"Guard coming your way." Daisuke warned her. _Yeah I figured that out kisama._ "At least this guy is on the schedule, no surprise is a good surprise."

"It'll save us some time if he has a card." VI said. Junko frantically looked around for an open door but every door had a security lock. _I don't have a choice._ Flipping out a simple stun gun, she charged the voltage and prepared for the worst. A scrawny security guard came around the corner, his only weapon being a pistol. When he saw Junko he froze, it was as if he was debating if she was actually there or not. Junko didn't waste any time, before the guard could act she stuck the gun into his throat and pushed the magic button. His body thrashed violently from the incredible shock before going limp. She let the body drop to the floor.

"No time to hide the body." Junko said into the receiver.

"Shit, guess there's no helping it." Daisuke sighed. "Now hurry up, you're on the clock. You've got five minutes to make it to the twentieth floor." Before deserting the body, Junko searched the guards' pockets. Sure enough there was a key card labeled _ASTRO VIP ACCESS - SECURITY_. _This is almost too easy…how the hell did this idiot get to a high level VIP Pass?_

"Only three minutes left, _dou itta_!" Daisuke urged.

The polished hallway was silent again, as if on cue. Junko ran around the corner and made it to the elevator, appearing before in her in mere seconds.

"Ok, according to my screen here there's going to be tons of interference in the next area. VI, you might want to listen for once." He clears his throat. "Level twenty only has a few VIP Suites, with number 8 being on the end of the hall. Once you're inside you'll have two minutes to find the package in the room and get the hell out of there. Given the security here they might detect you before I realize it."

"Roger that." Junko said.

"VI, do what you can to stall the elevator the target girl gets on. I've hacked into the all the security cameras, save the VIP suites. I'll keep an eye on little miss high school; she should be coming in any minute now. Let me know when you've plugged my program in ASAP!"

"_Yoroshii_!" VI jeered, unusually peppy given the circumstances.

"And hey Junko," Daisuke asked. "Be careful, ok?" Junko smirked. _VI's never going to let that comment go._

"Yeah, no promises though." Before her worried teammate could object, she shut her com link off. It wouldn't be any use to her if there was interference.

_Guess I'm going dark._

VIP Suite 8 turned out to be one big room which heavily resembled a library. A plush couch was in the center with multiple books scattered around the room. A teal netbook with tiny pink strawberry decals was plugged into a charger on the couch. The walls were covered in bookshelves, each packed full with dozens of books. Only one wall was free of any books, revealing a humongous window with a glorious view of Ikebukuro.

_Good news: gained access to the suite. Bad news…what the hell am I looking for? Please don't tell me it's a book!_ She thought, discouraged with her situation. Junko walked to the netbook and opened the cover. A small squeak of what she guessed was supposed to mimic a dolphin rang out as the screen lit up. The netbook was locked by a password, typical for any electronic device. Junko pulled out a flash drive and plugged it in the USB port of the netbook. A small window opened up and a sequence of numbers ran on the screen. Hopefully this new software Daisuke designed would be able to crack the code.

Suddenly a defiant beep rang out and the netbook screen went black. _Ok…that is __**not **__supposed to happen._ Junko examined the laptop one more time before something clicked in her head

_This has got to be the package. The fact that Daisuke's password cracker couldn't get through this says that someone's put a lifetime of work and effort into protecting what's on this thing, and I doubt its embarrassing photos from a high school yearbook._ Junko snatched the netbook up and placed it in a small bag she had for package runs. Flinging the bag over her shoulder, a low whirring sound started to brew from the elevator. She eyed the bright lights above the door and noticed that the elevator was rapidly making its way here.

_Time to scram!_ She thought and looked around for the closest vent. A vent screen was above the tallest book shelf, as if it was specifically placed there to give intruders a hard time escaping. Desperate Junko pushed the couch over to the vent, hoping to would give her some if any height advantage. She glanced back at the elevator; it was already on level fifteen and quickly approaching. Finally getting the couch to the proper position, Junko hopped on the couch and prepared to jump. It seemed like she had made it when she felt a sharp sting in the back of her neck followed by a numbing sensation throughout her body.

Junko's leg suddenly became like jelly and gave out under her. She tried to gain her senses but finally realized a key fact: there was a small dart in her neck. Before she realized it, the young girl from the photograph Aobōzu gave her was staring her in the face. Instead of the expected blank expression, a wide demonic smile was glued to the students face. Her chestnut brown eyes were wide and examined Junko's face thoroughly.

"Target confirmed!" The girl said her voice drenched with glee. "It's nice to finally meet you, Agent Junko." Junko scoffed.

"Hey girly…fancy meeting you here." She gasped, her breath suddenly escaping her. "You enjoying the view…or waiting for a client? Don't tell me that your school actually allows skirts that short in the fall." The girl chuckled quietly at first but it erupted into a series of howls. Once she calmed down she glared at the intruder.

"The profile wasn't joking, you are a _bonkura_!" She snatched Junko's package bag from her droopy arm and pulled out the netbook.

"Oh you naughty girl, you've discovered my little diary." The girl made a "tsk tsk" noise with her mouth. Opening the netbook she cleared her throat.

"_Ningyōtsukai no tenshi_." She said. Junko's eyes widened with horror. _This little girl…there's no way she could know about that._

The girl smiled. "Surprised? I would be too; it's not like every day you get to meet a real Angel." "You can call me that you know, but don't use your filthy native language. Only Tenshi will suffice." She quickly typed on the keyboard.

"Your codename is Agent Junko and you are a Scottish agent of Hiratsuka, one of the most powerful smuggling companies in the Asian underworld. You're reaching your mid-thirties, a heavy drinker and smoker so it's a miracle you haven't got that many wrinkles yet. I suspect you use Botox or some kind of beauty treatment." She eyed Junko with a look that sent darts of hatred to her.

"This is only a snippet of my data profile on you." She said. "I am ashamed to say that it is imperfect; it lacks two crucial elements." She waltzed over to Junko, giving her a swift kick in the gut.

"Who do you work for?" She growled. Junko fought hard to suck air into her lungs.

"Go to hell, I don't know what you're talking about!" she rasped. The girl's expression turned into sheer anger and stomped on Junkos' chest repeatedly.

"_Kisama, namenn ja ne yo_!" She screeched. "We know you betrayed our company! We know you've been sending copies of transactions to a contact!" Tenshi didn't slow her stomping, even with the definite crack of ribs coming from the intruders' chest cavity. Junko gasped and moaned from the pain, but she let no secrets escape her lips.

Angel sighed, exasperated. "I'm normally not allowed to torture people like this…my master will get angry." Junko whimpered at the excruciating sensation of her bone exiting her skin worsened.

"Take her to my master." Tenshi ordered the guards. She took another dart from her pocket and jabbed it in Junko's neck. All Junko could do was lie there as the drug came over her. Her doom had been sealed.


	5. Something to laugh at

Objectives

Rescue VIP

Secure any Intel

Brevity Codes:

Completion of Obj. 1 – GOLD

Completion of Obj. 2 – BLUE

Abort – RED

0200 hours. Somewhere in the Pacific.

This is ridiculous. I finally get an assignment so I wouldn't rot in Credenhill and it's a fucking rescue mission? Apparently one of our guys was stationed in Japan to monitor a smuggling company a few years back. After two years of nearly no contact he sends a distress signal. Our superiors think he's been compromised and needs immediate extraction. I think he got careless. He's held up in a warehouse in a city called Ikebukuro. We think he's being interrogated as we speak. He better keep his trap shut for what he's worth.

What's worse is my commander for this mission is a Yank. Superiors won't tell me a fucking thing about how that happened, only that "we will be working together as this will benefit both nations." **FUCK THIS.**

Normally I'd leave a guy like this out to dry but he's "too important to leave behind" apparently. Someone straight from the top wants this guy for whatever reasons. We're completely in the dark here. I tried to find out more about this guy but his whole file is classified. I don't know who he is, what he did, or why he's important. We won't know anything until we get him out of the bloody mess. Should be in Japan in a few hours, have to prepare the squad to infiltrate the targeted warehouse through the sewers. Charges are a must.

Price is probably laughing his ass off at the whole thing right now. Hell I would be too.


	6. Lost and Found?

John "Soap" MacTavish had been on a few VIP rescue missions in the past. It was usually a simple three step procedure: Get in, rescue the target, and get out. But this mission was different. Something shady was definitely happening, and it was itching at the Lieutenants brain. From the briefing Soap was told that a special agent was assigned to infiltrate a classified organization almost 10 years ago. This agent was compromised, but was lucky enough to activate a beacon somehow for immediate extraction. Soap wasn't allowed to know anything about the agent or any specifics of the mission. Knowing what little he knew, Soap only had three questions on his mind:

1. Who is this VIP?

2. Why was the VIP in Japan?

3. How the fuck did a _yank _become his team Captain?!

Captain Arnold White of the US Military was assigned to be Soaps commanding officer for this mission. Apparently this VIP had friends from both the United States and United Kingdom. It wasn't that Soap disliked Captain White because he was an American or for his qualifications. His carrot orange hair and ghostly white skin made him stick out like a sore thumb, but his build was almost larger than Soaps. From what Soap got from the thirty second conversation he had with White before they got on the boat to Japan, White seemed like he was perfectly qualified for the position. It was White's illusive way of answers questions that absolutely infuriated Soap. The last thing any soldier wanted was to be flying blind on a mission due to bureaucratic nonsense bullshit. When anyone asked White a question, his usual responses were "That's on a need to know basis" or "Our cooperation will benefit both of our nations".

_Translation: This prick is keeping us in the dark because he doesn't think we can handle this. _Soap scoffed. _Then again, there's a good chance that he doesn't have a clue about this either. Best not to keep my hopes up._

"Sheesh, did something die down here?" Gary "Roach" Sanderson, a new recruit, waved his hands in attempt to dissociate the acrid fumes from the tunnel.

"Yeah, your ass if you don't pipe down." Soap grumbled, but he too grimaced at the stench.

"Wouldn't surprise me if there was a corpse or two down here." White said. "There's been a lot of disappearances lately."

Soap blinked. Captain White actually made a comment irrelevant to the mission.

"Disappearances?" Soap asked, trying his best to hide the eager in his voice. White shrugged and continued to haul through the sludge. His social life was short lived, as usual. Soap wasn't getting any juicy details out of this guy.

_That's probably why he was chosen for this, wouldn't want to spill the beans._

"Command, this is Renegade." White said into his com link. "We're making our way through route six to the warehouse, no signs of enemy activity yet."

"Copy that Renegade." A man's voice said through the com. "Heads up, there's a block around the corner. Find a way around it."

White glanced at Soap. "MacTavish, Sanderson, plant some charges on the wall." He ordered. Soap nodded and jogged up to the wall. The concrete blockade was covered in a slime that had a powerful stench. Soap held his breath as he planted the charge on the wall.

"Clear?" White asked.

"Almost" Soap said, securing the charge. Roach took a little longer but joined Soap soon after.

"Clear." Soap said. "3…2…1!" Soap pushed the small button on his controller, detonating the charges. Large chunks of brick and concrete flew in the air, crashing into the walls. A thin wisp of sewage water sprayed everywhere from the explosion. Suddenly a high pitched cry rang out in the tunnel. Soap followed the noise and realized it was coming from the other side of the hole. Shrill voices talked rapidly before a shower of bullets shot through the hole.

"Three tangoes four o'clock!" White yelled, pulling out his sidearm. Soap swore and took cover behind a slab of concrete from the detonation.

"Wait!" Roach yelled. "They're just kids!" Soap looked up bewildered. Sure enough the gunmen was only a small group of boys no older than 16. Their guns easily outweighed them; their figures were that of toothpicks on the verge of snapping. Despite their age, White continued to shoot, taking down two of them down with ease. The third boy ceased shooting; he was either in shock or fear. He dropped his gun all together and turned to run. White shot the boy in the ankle. The boy tumbled to his feet, whimpering in pain.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Soap demanded. He came out of his cover and approached White. "He's just a kid-"

"And a dangerous one at that, MacTavish." White said. He pointed at the boy. "Look at his arm." Soap looked down at the boy. Blood pooled from his ankle like a leaky faucet, his brown eyes widened with pure terror. Soap eyed the boys' right arm and noticed it was covered in a multi-colored tattoo taking the form of a demonic puppeteer pulling the strings of a porcelain doll.

"_Watashi wa mojiretsu to issho ni noru to, hokanohōhō wa arimasen_!" The boy griped.

_What the hell?_ Soap looked at White, unsure what to do next.

"_Uragirimono wa doko ni arimasu ka, gaki?_" White demanded. Roach looked at the captain bewildered.

"_Koyaro_!" The boy spat. White furrowed his brows, pulled out his side arm and shot the boy in the chest. Blood pooled from the cavity, tinting the green sludge with carmine.

_Fuck this!_ Soap punched White square in the jaw, knocking the Captain off his feet. Before White could react, Roach had his weapon aiming directly at White.

"You've got explaining to do Yank." Soap hissed.

"Need to know basis, MacTavish." White retorted. "Just let me handle this." White didn't move but kept staring at Soap.

"Fuck that!" Roach said. "You've kept us in the dark the whole time. We're supposed to be rescuing a VIP here. Now we're killing kids?" White looked to Roach and back at Soap. He sighed.

"Look. I only know a little about the VIP." He said. "10 years ago the UK and USA sent a team of agents to infiltrate a smuggling company here. They recruit a lot of homeless kids with nowhere to go and train them to be soldiers."

"Keep talking. What do you know about the VIP?" Soap demanded.

"Like I said I don't know anything!" White growled. He swept his legs into Soap, knocking the lieutenant off his feet. Roach panicked, not wanting to shoot White or Soap and stood still. Soap scrambled to his feet only to meet White's pistol jabbing into his cheek.

"I am in charge here, MacTavish!" White snarled. "If I need to remind you again, the next bullet goes between your eyes." White removed his weapon, securing it into his holster.

"We've wasted enough time here." He said. "Those kids were probably drugged and abused beyond redemption." He looked at Soap. "I know how BS this mission is, ok? But fighting each other here isn't going to get us any answers!" He offered Soap a hand to help him up. "I think we can both agree that we want to get this over with." Soap eyed White carefully. He grunted and took his hand.

"Fine, but no more secrets." He said. White nodded.

"Let's get moving." He said, pressing an ear to his com link. "Control, how far are we from the warehouse?"

"Just a click away Renegade, go get 'em."

Junko tore open her eyelids, taking in the darkness. Everything hurt after her beating. Sure enough they had moved her, but her location remained a mystery.

_ Ow…shit…what do I do?_ She fiddled with her hands and feet, and learned a few two new things. Her wrists and ankles were wrapped by chains and locked into the floor, and the little bitch was a liar- she was still breathing.

"Oh good, the child is awake." A voice said. Junko stared in the darkness to no avail. It was clear to her that the speaker was an elderly man, or at least a three-pack-a-day smoker-man, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Show yourself." Junko demanded. The voice laughed.

"Why?" The man asked. "Don't you like surprises child? I _love_ surprises." Suddenly a thin stinging sensation tingled throughout her neck. Another needle containing lord knows what was being injected into her bloodstream.

"You gave me a heart attack with your surprise, child." The man continued. "I never would've guessed that you, one of our finest, would become the pathetic pestilence that prompted me to form this organization." Junko gasped, horrified.

"No…you…can't be-"She coughed, foam spewed out of her mouth.

"Child, why don't you tell me who you work for?" The man asked, his harsh laugh echoed throughout the room. Junko shook violently as she gasped for breath. Her vision became blurry, the voice of the man muffled. A ringing sensation shot through her body as debris flew all around the room. Bullets zoomed past the helpless woman who could only hope they would miss her. For all Junko knew, what seemed like seconds could be minutes, maybe even hours. Her sense of touched was warped, as if her surroundings had no definite shape. It was only a matter of time before the darkness consumed her once more, leaving her fate up to chance once again.


End file.
